Austin Dillon secures milestone victory at Richmond as William Byron locks up NASCAR regular season title

Austin Dillon took the checkered flag in the Cook Out 400 at Richmond. The win was a race highlight and a season-altering result, locking Dillon into the Cup Series playoffs.

Dillon led 107 laps, including the last 47 after a fierce battle with Ryan Blaney. He cycled back to the front following green-flag pit stops and maintained his advantage to the finish.

Behind him, Alex Bowman finished second, Blaney third, Joey Logano fourth, and Austin Cindric fifth. The top 10 included Kyle Larson, Daniel Suarez, Josh Berry, Brad Keselowski, and Denny Hamlin.

Dirty Mo Media shared the news on X.

Dirty Mo Media

@DirtyMoMedia

AUSTIN DILLON WINS AT RICHMOND 🏁 ♠️ RT to congratulate him on his victory and punching his ticket to the playoffs! 🔁

This win was extra special for Austin Dillon. Last season at Richmond, he fell short in painful fashion. This time, he returned and reclaimed the win with a broken rib. The playoff berth secured by this win also gave him momentum heading into the final stretch.

Alongside Dillon’s win, William Byron had his milestone. Reporter Jeff Gluck confirmed on X that Byron clinched the regular-season points title. Gluck explained that Byron cleared Chase Elliott by 68 points, making the championship official. As a result, Byron got 15 bonus playoff points, a cushion heading into the postseason.

Byron’s finish in 12th place at Richmond was enough to seal the deal. While not a win, his consistency across the season proved decisive. The regular season title added to Hendrick Motorsports’ strong year, as teammates Alex Bowman and Kyle Larson also finished inside the top 10.

Jeff Gluck

@jeff_gluck

REGULAR SEASON CHAMPIONSHIP UPDATE: William Byron clinches. He is clear by 68 points over Chase Elliott, so he has locked it up. He gets 15 playoff bonus points.

The Cook Out 400 at Richmond was the second-to-last race of the regular season. The final opportunity before the playoffs will come at Daytona International Speedway in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 on August 23. With Dillon’s win and Byron’s regular-season crown, the stage is set for the playoffs.

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“This one feels so sweet”: Austin Dillon reflects on Richmond win

Austin Dillon (3) celebrates in victory lane after winning the Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway- Source: Imagn

After the win, Austin Dillon spoke about how much the result meant. Yahoo Sports shared his comments after the race at Richmond Raceway.

“Man, that feels good. Got to thank the Good Lord above. I really wanted that one. Last year, hurt really bad. Just going through the whole process of it. But this one feels so sweet.” Dillon said.

He mentioned that the “last year” was Richmond in 2024, when Dillon crossed the finish line first, but his win was not registered. NASCAR ruled that while the win would stand in the record book, it would not count toward playoff eligibility.

Officials decided that Dillon’s final-lap contact with Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin crossed the line of acceptable racing. Along with the playoff penalty, he and the No. 3 team were docked 25 points in driver and owner standings, dropping him in the rankings.

Dillon defended his driving that night, saying he was trying to loosen Logano’s car and reacted to Hamlin’s position. He pointed to the pressure of ending a nearly two-year winless streak and the importance of playoff eligibility.

“It is what it is. Wins get you into the next round. I did what I had to do to cross the start/finish line first,” Dillon said in the post-race press conference," he said (via NASCAR.com).

In his statement after the 2025 race, Austin Dillon also credited his grandfather, Richard Childress, with standing by him during difficult times. Dillon said it would have been easy for his team to replace him in the No. 3 car, but his grandfather’s faith never wavered.